Malda college makes the grade

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Feb. 13: The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), an autonomous body of the University Grants Commission (UGC), has accredited Gour Mahavidyalaya of Mangalbari, Malda with a ‘B’ grade this year. The NAAC published its results on 10 February this year. Grade ‘B’ means the college has secured 70-75 percent marks in the assessment. The NAAC accredited two more colleges from north Bengal this year. While the Mathabhanga College in Cooch Behar has earned a grade ‘C+,’ the Kalimpong College has earned a ‘B’ grade. A total of 11 colleges in West Bengal have been accredited after the results were published on 10 February. The NAAC has so far accredited 83 Colleges in West Bengal. Of them, a total of 16 colleges are in north Bengal. The Gour Mahavidyalaya had applied to the NAAC on 15 May 2006 and a team from the NAAC, comprising senior educationists Mr Sanat Mukherjee of Ranchi, Mr M S K Khokar from Vilaspur and Mrs Suneethi Reddy from Hyderabad visited the Gour Mahavidyalaya on 4 and 5 December. “The three member NAAC team has in its report appreciated transparency in students’ admission and student-teacher relationship in Gour Mahavidyalaya,” claimed its principal Mr Pranatosh Sen today. “The NAAC team has suggested playgrounds, NCC and NSS units in the college,” he added. The team has advised to introduce vocational courses especially for girl students considering the backwardness of the district where schedule caste and tribe and minority people are present in large numbers. The principal further said: “The NAAC has suggested creation of new posts for teaching staff based on the teacher-student ratio and recommended to sanction full time teachers for self-financed graduate courses and for science subjects.” Mr Sen also claimed that the team appreciated the quality of the teachers and the college might seek assistance from UGC and from the Centre for building a girls’ hostel for backward class. “Introduction of remedial studies with an approval of the UGC and studies for competitive examinations for civil services and bachelor of education programmes have also been suggested by the NAAC experts,” the teachers said. In order to develop the infrastructure of the college and expansion of its buildings, the team has recommended that the college authorities can seek funds from the Malda zilla parishad, Uttar Banga Unnayan Parishad, district planning and coordination committee and even look for local sponsorship. “We had applied to the MZP and other bodies for funds to develop infrastructure our college but the application was not approved by the zilla parishad authorities,” the principal lamented. #

Briefs :

Corpse found

The police recovered the decomposed body of a married woman from Fulohar river under Manikchak police station who was missing for six days on Tuesday. Police detained two youths in this connection today and are looking for another one after recovery of the body. Police suspect that the woman was allegedly raped and killed. “The accused is being interrogated. We would be able to draw a conclusion soon,” said Malda SP, Mr DK Mondal. The police said that the woman, a resident of Bhutni Diara, an island on the Ganga, fled from her house six days ago. Some locals saw her on a boat with three youths. #

Pacemakers

After Siliguri and Kolkata, Malda would be getting its pacemaker setting facility soon. A private medical institution has developed its unit for setting pacemakers permanently. Cardiologist Dr Subhash Nandi successfully operated a male patient and set a permanent pacemaker on Tuesday. “People used to go either to Siliguri or Kolkata to avail of the medical facility but now they can avail of the facility here,” the doctor, said.